Jade O'Belle

Jade O'Belle is a British interdisciplinary artist whose practice spans painting, sculpture, art direction, film, image-making, costume design, sound, and performance. Through her multifaceted work, O'Belle explores notions of identity, queerness, and sexuality, creating mythical landscapes that invite audiences into immersive experiences that challenge conventional narratives.

At the core of O'Belle's practice is the body—a vessel for ancestral memory and cultural reclamation. She intuitively crafts rituals that forge connections to ancestral memories passed through her physical being, informing the daily practices through which she navigates the world and explores diasporic identity. Each character she creates emerges as a transcendent form of escapism, opening portals to alternative realities and expanding the possibilities of existence.

Her debut film "Birthright" (2022), produced in collaboration with Girls in Film, represents a mesmerizing convergence of ethereal worlds—a transformative expression of identity, sexuality, and culture. The film encapsulates Black fem-identity through Yoruba iconography, reclaiming conversations on selfhood, bodies, and power. "Birthright" explores O'Belle's paternal ancestral connection to Yoruba culture through ritual objects worn on the body, presenting a diasporic portrayal of Yoruba iconography.

Following its online premiere with DAZED Media and a sold-out installation premiere in London, "Birthright" has garnered significant international interest. The film has been screened at numerous prestigious venues, including the Berlin Film Awards, Bush Films: Black Queer Power (New York), the Black Atlantic Visions exhibition at EYE Film Museum (Amsterdam), T A P E Collective / Bloomsbury Theatre & Studio, Guts Gallery, and GIF x Minute Shorts: Celebrating Black Female Directors.

Drawing from diverse religious iconography—Yoruba, Hindu, Buddhist, and Catholic—O'Belle creates visual narratives that examine colonialism's impact while establishing new spiritual guideposts for contemporary times. Her paintings, sculptures, and performances reimagine these traditions, crafting resonant iconography that speaks directly to present-day spiritual and cultural needs. This visual language becomes both a record of historical disruption and a tool for future healing.

As a world-builder and visual storyteller, O'Belle has worked with renowned photographers including Nick Knight, Tim Walker, Solve Sudsbo, Carlijin Jacob, and Harley Weir. She has served as a muse to designers and artists such as Di Petsa, Sinead O'Dwyer, and Michaela Stark. Her ongoing creative partnership with performance artist and filmmaker Soojin Chang has produced notable works including "Dog Eggs," exhibited at Asia Culture Center in Gwangju, and "BXBY," commissioned by the Jerwood/Film Video Umbrella Awards and Leeds Art Gallery.

O'Belle's expertise and insight have led to speaking engagements on panels discussing the body, including Copenhagen Fashion Week 2024 and DAZED 100's "Body Positivity, Control, and Conditioning."

Through her richly layered, multidisciplinary practice, Jade O'Belle transcends conventional artistic boundaries to challenge perceptions, celebrate cultural heritage, and create spaces where identity and ancestral connection flourish. Her work explores art's capacity to heal historical wounds, forge new mythologies, and envision futures where marginalized narratives take center stage.